HISTORY OF THE END OF THE WORLD: THE MASTER Laura switched on the light, threw her bag on the bed and look around. The room was spacious and decorated with subtle brown, red and yellow ocre-colours. In a corner stood small statue. Incense was burning before it. What drew her immediate attention was the officedesk in the far corner. She immediately recognised the up-to-date equipment. She automatically started the computer, but then hesitated. She had to get some sleep and a shower. She switched of the light, grabbed her sleepingbag. She stared to the ceiling for a while. It was three o'clock in the morning and she started to realise, that she was experiencing an extreme cultureshock. Outside it was quiet, though she seen some people in the yard, when she came in, she only heard murmuring voices.The usual citysounds, the yelling, the sirens of amulances and policecars and sounds of automobiles were completely gone. She heard churchbells strike, but nothing else. Laura felt her heart beat and her blood stream, “So close, so close.”, Laura murmured. She started her eveningprayers and almost immideately fell asleep.   It was the second knock on the door, that woke her. After seconds she realised where she was. “One moment.”, she said and grapped her clothes and got dressed in a hurry. When Laura opened the door, she first thought that she was looking at the mysterious woman, that brought her here. But she was wrong. “A twinsister? At least a sister.” , she concluded. The woman in black, she met at the busstation, was full of energy; in front of a her stood the opposite. Simple layers of clothing made her look small, her eyes were quiet but penetrating. “You can call me El.”, the woman touched her shoulder as a form of greeting. “I am Laura.”, she answered. El nodded. “I know, you were expected. Follow me, the Master is awaiting you.” They crossed the central yard which was dominated by a giant red beechtree. Several people were eating breakfast, which made Laura feel hungry. She had hardly eaten in 24 hours. Under the archway they went down into a cellar. It looked like an enormous library. Several people were studying there and hardly any-one looked at them passing. At the end of the cellar-library was an almost oval, wooden door. “What's the name of this place?” “Some call it Atlantis, some Situ and some the Academy. It depends on your relationship with the Master.” El knocked on the door, which slid aside. “He will tell you everything you want to know.” and directed her to the door. There was no more time for questions. El seemed to have disappeared. Laura stepped through the door. It was the only thing she could do.   Laura entered a room, which she immediately diagnosed as a total mess. In the corner she saw an unmade bed. The floor was littered with papers, books and discs of all sorts. The room overlooked a waterway and the ancient trees of a graveyard. In front of the window was a giant desk, dominated by three computerscreens. The desk too was covered by sigarettes, papers and piles of magazines. In the ashtray incense was burning. “Welcome.”, a warm voice said. Laura swung around. Out of nowhere a man appeared. He was dressed in black, Japanese-like clothes and he was barefooted. And he was hugh, at least 7 feet tall. Though build as a giant, he moved with an almost feminine grace. “Come, sit down and have something to eat.” He cleaned a table and grabbed a loaf of bread and a waterbottle. “We will share.” and handed her the bread. Laura tore of a piece and when she put it into her mouth, she felt that is was still warm. Her host filled the glasses and was silent for a while. “Master,”, Laura tried to be as polite as possible. The environment was pretty impressing. The tree computerscreens were changing all the time and she felt, that most part of his mind, was occupied with a constant flow of data. “Master, can I ask you a question.” Years later, she understood the importance of this first contact. She never used another name ever. “Of course Laura.”, the Master answered, while taking a sip of water. “Being you at the moment, you need some answers.” Laura hesitated a moment. “Master, where am I?” The Master laughed: “Where do you want to be?” She felt a little bit angry by this answer. Like Alice asking the way from the Cheshire Cat. The Master seemed to feel her emotions. “Don't get upset. There will be enough time for questions and answers. Why not for the rest of your life?” “The rest of my life.”, Laura thought, “I just arrived here.” Again the Master anticipated her thoughts. “It took you quite a while, to get here. But I am glad that you arrived here save and sound. It was a dangerous trip you undertook.” Laura looked surprised. “It all started long before you saw the beginning of the end right into his eyes. Tlaloc never forgets, Tlaloc always protects.” The last sentence sounded like a mantra. Which it was.   In the silence that followed, she heard the rain slashing against the windows. The waters turned grey and she heard hurrying footsteps outside. The sound of laughter. “You have something in your possesion, that is mine.” The voice of tne Master was still friendly, but she felt that his energylevel had changed, risen to a form of anticipation. “Master, I am sorry. I don't know.” The Master raised his hand. “Let's relax. This is an important moment for both of us. Please think and look.” He touched one of the screens. Suddenly she was back in Amsterdam again. Some-one was running through crowded citystreets, throwing over people and avoiding traffic. She heard the breath of the fugitive. Shots were fired and the camera moved even faster. Suddenly the man, she assumed it was a man, came out in the open. The sun blinded the camera, but the next camerashot startled her. She saw herself lying on the street, her eyes fixed on the runner. Near her the fugitive stopped and … “I remember.”, Laura said. “That was you, throwing me the cards.” The Master nodded. “That was in another timeline. But you kept the promise I saw in your eyes.” “Which promise?”, Laura asked. “The promise to save the cards and bring them back to me.” Laura searched her bag and got hold of the deck. “I cannot remember, that I took them this morning.” “You did.”, the Master. “Come, let me explain you something about cards.”